The superb parrot, also known as Barraband's parrot, Barraband's parakeet, or green leek parrot, is a parrot native to south-eastern Australia. It is a dimorphic species and one of three species in the genus Polytelis.
Region
South-eastern Australia
Typical Environment
Found primarily in New South Wales (south-west slopes and Riverina), the Australian Capital Territory, and northern Victoria. It breeds in river red gum forests and woodlands along the Murray, Murrumbidgee and Lachlan river systems, using large tree hollows for nesting. After breeding, flocks disperse to surrounding box–gum woodlands, farmlands, and roadside corridors. It frequents open country with scattered eucalypts and can visit orchards and paddocks. Occurrence is patchy and tied to availability of mature hollow-bearing trees and seasonal food.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 800 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 3/5
Also called Barraband's parrot, the superb parrot is a striking, sexually dimorphic parakeet confined to south‑eastern Australia. It nests almost exclusively in large hollows of river red gums along major inland rivers, making it sensitive to the loss of mature trees. Outside the breeding season it forms mobile flocks that roam farmland and open woodlands in search of seed. Conservation actions focus on protecting nest hollows and riparian forests.
Restored habitat for the Superb parrot on an abandoned railway line
Temperament
social and active but wary
Flight Pattern
strong flier with swift, direct flight
Social Behavior
Breeds in loose colonies, with several pairs nesting in proximity within river red gum stands. Pairs are monogamous and nest in deep tree hollows, often close to water. Outside the breeding season they form small to medium-sized flocks that commute between roosts and feeding areas and may join mixed-species aggregations in productive habitats.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Calls are clear, ringing whistles and mellow, bell-like notes given in flight and from perches. Contact calls are soft and musical, while alarm notes become sharper and more insistent.
Plumage
Male is bright green with a vivid yellow face and throat crossed by a narrow red band; long, tapered tail and bluish tinge on the wings and rump. Female is duller green with a grey‑green face, no yellow throat, and shorter red markings, with a pale eye-ring. Both sexes have long, graduated tails and sleek, satiny plumage.
Diet
Feeds mainly on seeds of grasses and herbs, plus eucalypt and acacia seeds, buds, and blossoms. It also takes fruits and nectar when available and may forage on spilled grain in farmland. Diet composition shifts seasonally, following flowering and seeding pulses in riverine and box–gum woodlands.
Preferred Environment
Typically forages in riparian eucalypt forests, open woodlands, and adjacent agricultural lands. It feeds both in the canopy on blossoms and on the ground in pastures and along roadsides. Orchards and crop edges are sometimes visited when food is abundant.
